On Wings of Silver Moonlight
by The Sage of Time
Summary: Broken hearts and fading dreams arise again on silver wings. When Ryoko finally believed her world was perfect, everything turns upside down when Tenchi does the unthinkable. Now all she knows are the words of her master..."Never believe all they say"..


~Notes from Minagi~  
  
Hey all! This is just a little fic that I've forming in my head for a couple of months, and I finally decided to put it on paper. Er…I guess…the screen in this case. It's a story I'm writing to give me a much-needed break from "Scar of Fire". Don't worry, I'm still working on that one, but this just gives me something new to think about. Besides, I need some time to put my thoughts together on how I'm going to present it.  
  
On a usual basis, I'd tell you whom the relationship's going to be based around. But don't let yourself be misled. Things aren't always what they seem…he he he he…  
  
Oh yeah, it's a Tenchi-Ryoko fic, of course. So all the T/A fans out there, if you can't stand that pairing, um…you might want to hit the back button right about now. But if you can, then, I don't care. You can stick around if you want to.  
  
PS. Don't be frightened to review…unless you flame me…then, be afraid, be very afraid…he he he…::pulls out her energy sword and begins to wave it around madly:: I'm an expert at search and destroy.  
  
PPS. This story takes place two years after the OVA, so there's no Kiyone, Ryoko is Washu's daughter and was once controlled by Kagato, but is now assimilated with Zero, Sasami and Tsunami are one in the same, and the three goddesses are in existence. There, I think that should cover it. NOW for the main attraction  
  
  
  
  
He had to do it. He had to tell her. If he didn't tell her, there was going to be a very massive explosion, caused by his feelings and deep emotions he held for that certain space pirate-gone-as-good-as-she-can-get that had joined his family three or so years before. It was a fact, and he couldn't help it.  
  
Tenchi had fallen in love with Ryoko. They had been through so much together. Kagato? Well, that was a given. Then came the mass. Naturally, she was there…er…at least…she tried to be. And what more could you ask for? Finally there was the Goddess incident with Lady Tokimi. And Zero. Ahh, Zero, the marionette copy of Ryoko. She was…well…basically the human form of Ryoko's heart. So no matter how he looked at it, she had remained by his side through it all, willing to die for him. Why it had taken him this long to see his love for her he didn't know, but the effects of the wait were showing in her soul.  
  
She was secretive towards him at times, and her eyes and heart burned with a painful compassion and fiery longing every time she looked at him. It was so unlike her, and there were times where all Tenchi wanted to do was run his hand along her cheek, taking in her delicate, milky skin and soft cyan hair. He wanted to tell her everything would be okay and that he loved her. But, no, he was too much of a wimp to reveal anything, and he sat on the sidelines, watching as she battled and lost against her heart.  
  
"-Ki!…-saki!…MASAKI!" A loud and demanding voice broke through Tenchi's fight against himself, and he blinked furiously, realizing he had been dozing off. He stood up, growing redder and redder with every vertical centimeter.  
  
"Gomen nasai, Araki-Sensei," he apologized quietly, avoiding the stern look his teacher was giving him.  
  
"Masaki, are you sure you're all right? That's the fifth time this week that you've dozed off! Are you not getting enough sleep?" Araki Keiko sure had a way to make him feel stupid, even when she was asking him a question as simple as "Are you getting enough sleep?" And he was one of the top students in his college class!  
  
Of course, come to think of it, he really wasn't getting much sleep. All the prince could think of at night was Ryoko's pain and how she always seemed to glow, regardless. He'd go to bed thinking about her, not get to sleep for two hours, then have terrible dreams about something happening to her, only to wake up for another two hours and repeat the whole vicious cycle. Washu kept saying he was love sick, and he was beginning to believe her.  
  
"No, Araki-Sensei, not really," Tenchi said honestly, amid immature snickers from his classmates.  
  
She sighed just as the bell rang, signaling the end of the period.  
  
"Masaki, stay after class, please," she ordered, organizing papers on her already impeccably spotless desk.  
  
Tenchi stopped halfway through putting a large calculus textbook in his briefcase. He knew he was in for it. He gulped and finished putting his stuff away, then walked nervously up to her desk.  
  
"There's no need to be nervous. I'm merely concerned about one of our top students in the school," Keiko told him, easing his fears only somewhat. "Over the past two weeks, your grades have been dropping at alarming rates, and you don't seem to be paying attention in class. So tell me, is there anything you'd like to discuss?"  
  
He wanted to say, "Why in the hell would I discuss any of my problems with you?" He meant to say, "No, ma'am. I'm just having troubles sleeping, that's all." But he didn't say either one. Instead, before he could comprehend what was happening, he had told his teacher all about the love of his life, how he was too scared to confront her, yet how he hated seeing her suffer because of him. By the end of his story, he had confessed everything, even down to the sleeping routine he had began to adapt, to his teacher.  
  
The woman just stood behind her desk, papers still in hand, in shock. When her pupil finished, she smiled gently (which made her already overly small lips look even thinner and smaller).  
  
"Tenchi," she said, catching his full attention. She never referred to her students by their first names, only by their surnames. "Have you any idea what you just told me?"  
  
The successor shook his head yes, feeling the heat once again rise in his face.  
  
"Then take a few 'sick' days off of school, go back to Okayama, and tell this girl what you just told me. From what you have said, she loves you just as much as you do her, and you two need to be together."  
  
Tenchi was in shock. His teacher had just told him to play hooky for a few days to figure out his personal life! No, scratch that last part. His teacher had just told him to play hooky! It was just what he needed, a break from the stresses of college. He'd been away from home far too long, and he needed to see everyone. Especially Ryoko.  
  
So, bowing and muttering his thanks, the love struck young man left the school to catch the next bus home.  
  
~*~  
  
The wind took hold of the scent of the sakura trees and carried it across the yard to the top of the roof of the Masaki household. There, the family's 2076 year old oni breathed in the calming air, staring at the crystal blue sky. She had never been the same, not since Tenchi had left for college. She seemed to withdrawal into her own shell, her own world, and she pretty much remained alone throughout the day.  
  
Except for those rare occasions when she'd spend the day with Sasami. She loved that little princess like a sister, and the girl's happy face and cheery attitude was always enough to get rid of Ryoko's sorrows for the day. And then the night would come with the lonely moon, and the young woman found herself enduring her heart's searing pain once again. She often times found herself in Tenchi's room, lying in his empty bed, crying into his pillow.  
  
But today, she didn't know why, but she knew it was going to be different. So she waited in her favorite place, longing for the answer to her prayers to come flying in on golden wings. She'd been on the roof since dawn, and it was now late afternoon. The sun in the west shown upon her face, warming her mind and soul.  
  
Soon, she kept telling herself. He'll be home soon...  
  
  
  
Tenchi walked up to the house, bag of clothes in one hand, briefcase in the other. He went over his plan once again in his head: first confront Ryoko, then the rest of the family. His palms were glossed with sweat from being so nervous, and he looked to the roof.  
  
There she is! he thought, spotting at her rising and falling form. He watched her for a few minutes as the sun gracefully followed her curves. Her eyes sparkled in the golden rays, and she seemed radiant.  
  
Tenchi snapped himself out of his ogling stupor and put down his bags. Walking quietly to the side of the house where the ladder was placed, he tried to think of what to say to her.  
  
"Hey, Ryoko! Long time, no see!" No, that's no good! Umm...Battling himself over how to confront her, he slowly ascended the ladder and stood on the roof.  
  
"Umm...Ryoko?" he said, uncertainly. Oh, smooth! God, there are so many things you could've said, but did you say them? No! "Umm...Ryoko?" Ha!  
  
The demon summoner looked behind her quickly, thinking the voice she heard was just her imagination running wild. It wasn't.  
  
"Tenchi!" she said excitedly, jumping up and floating over before him. She wanted to hug him, to throw herself on him, but something held her back, and she didn't. "I've...I've missed you."  
  
"I've missed you too, Ryoko-san," he said gently, knowing she was having a hard time keeping herself in check.  
  
She looked up at him in surprise, and her eyes filled with tears. Tenchi watched as one trailed along her cheek and to her chin, and then another and another. After the fourth one had fallen to the shingles below them, the prince raised his hand to her face and wiped away her pain. Ryoko couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't keep control any longer, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him as more tears of happiness dropped from her feline-like eyes.  
  
"It's so good to see you, Tenchi," she told him, snuggling her head into his shoulder. She felt him move his arms, and was shocked when they wrapped around her waist, returning the hug.  
  
Tenchi held the sobbing pirate, and for once he felt he'd done something right. He felt her body's every shivering movement as she remained in his arms, and he smiled. This was right, he thought. This is why he'd come back. To hold the one he loved.  
  
"It's good to see you too," he told her, stroking her soft mane.  
  
After what seemed like a glorious eternity, Ryoko backed off and looked at the boy.  
  
"Have you seen the others?" she asked him.  
  
"No, I wanted to see you first," he told her, catching her quick look of confusion. She cocked her head to the side, listening. "Why don't we sit down?"  
  
Gesturing to the spot where she was previously sitting, Tenchi lead Ryoko to the very top of the roof and helped her down. Then, seeing she was comfortable, he plopped himself down beside her. Unfortunately, he missed, and wound up banging his groin against the wood that ran along the shingles. His face scrunched up and he wailed in pain, his voice going from low tenor to high soprano in a matter of a few nano-seconds.  
  
"Tenchi, are you all right?" Ryoko said, alarmed, her hand on his shoulder. When she noticed he was holding his crotch, she immediately began to giggle.  
  
"Shut up!" he snapped, still in pain. "This really hurts!"  
  
"Awww." She gave him a pitiful expression, her eyes growing to their fullest, saddest looking size. She straddled his waist (only making things worse for him...If you know what I mean...) and placed both her hands on either side of his face. "Are you okay?" she asked gently, staring deeply into his chocolate brown eyes.  
  
Tenchi took his love's hands in his own, removing them from his face and moving her from his lap...for his own sake of course. As she moved, he turned to face her, never letting go. Her hands were so soft, like a flower petal, and just as frail. But he had learned all to well that things aren't always what they seemed. He'd seen before what her hands could do and the damage they could cause, and he knew if she turned on him, he would be in some serious shit.  
  
"Tenchi?" she said uncertainly.  
  
The prince gave her a bright smile to tell her he was fine. After taking a few deep breaths, the pain had gone and his attention turned to what he had to tell her.  
  
"Ryoko-san," he said, clearly getting her attention, "we need to talk."  
  
Oh, no, what did I do now? the summoner thought. Her expression became downcast, and she looked away, out to the midday sun.  
  
Tenchi released her left hand and gently took her chin in his own hand, moving her face so he could look at her. He knew she thought she did something, he could see it in her eyes.  
  
"You did nothing," he told her. "The real reason I came home was because I have made my decision."  
  
Ryoko's eyes widened, and tears began to form again. He had chosen Ayeka, she just knew it. Who wouldn't? She was a damn gorgeous princess, heir to an entire planet, and she was proper and kind-hearted. How could Ryoko even think she had a shot at Tenchi? She was nothing more than an annoying marionette with a past of emotionless slaughtering.  
  
"I...I understand," she said quietly, trying to keep her heart from shattering and waving his hand away from her face.  
  
Tenchi didn't understand why Ryoko didn't jump for joy. Didn't she know he meant her? What's wrong with her?  
  
And then it hit him. No, she thought he had chosen Ayeka.  
  
"Ryoko, the one I love has been with me through everything, never once leaving my side. The very thought of her causes me trouble when I'm going to sleep, because I can't get her out of my head. And I hate how I've kept her waiting this long. It's even started to affect me as a student. Ryoko, what I've come home to say is..." The nervous young man gulped and drew in a deep breath. He'd told her all he had wanted to say except for one thing. "...I love you."  
  
Ryoko's head jerked up in shock. He loved her? He had chosen HER?  
  
"Tenchi...I..." she was lost for words. She didn't know what to say except for, "I-I love you too." Then, the tears of pain and sorrow became joy and happiness, and she once again embraced her love, crying them into his chest. "I thought you had..."  
  
"...Chosen Ayeka?" he finished her sentence for her. "I know, I could tell."  
  
"God, I thought this day would never come." The oni looked up into his face.  
  
"Shh," he told her, placing a single finger over her lips. "Don't speak." Then, he gathered her body into his arms and held her, just as he had wanted to do. Her body pressed against his, and she lay her head on his shoulder, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Finally, everything seemed right. Tenchi had confessed his love, and was now doing what he had been dreaming of doing for the longest time. He tightened his grip around her waist, never wanting to move from that spot on the roof again...  
  
~*~  
  
"Ryoko! Dinner!"  
  
Sasami's voice broke through Ryoko's deep slumber, and Tenchi jerked violently back to reality. Neither one knew how much time had passed at first, but when they saw the blood of the dying sun splashed over the endless navy that was the night, they knew they had dozed off the whole afternoon.  
  
The young space pirate groaned. "Make it go away," she mumbled as Sasami's calls echoed out among the breeze again.  
  
Tenchi shook Ryoko gently. "C'mon Ryoko-chan, we have to go sooner or later!"  
  
"I vote for later," she said, but reluctantly got up. She crawled over to the edge of the roof to see the little princess staring up at her with a disappointed look on her face.  
  
"Ryoko, what are you doing up there? Dinner's getting cold!"  
  
"I know, Sasami-chan, but I have a surprise for you!" the oni said, and she smiled as Sasami's face broke into a large grin. Her bright pink eyes got, if possible, bigger, and she ran over to the ladder and began to climb. Ryoko met her at the top and offered her hand. The blue hared girl took it and allowed herself to be pulled onto the roof.  
  
"Guess who showed up a little while ago?" she asked, and Sasami looked around Ryoko to see Tenchi standing on the roof uncertainly.  
  
"Tenchi!" Sasami shrieked as she ran over to him (almost losing her balance) and threw her arms around his waist, digging her face into his abdomen.  
  
"Hey, Sasami-chan!" he said, patting her on the back.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked, giving him an accusing stare.  
  
"I decided to play hooky for a few days and come and see my family!" he said.  
  
"Tenchi! You ditched school?" Sasami was horrified at the very idea.  
  
"Hey, get off my case!" Tenchi joked. "So what about you? How's school going for you?"  
  
"Washu scares me," the little girl said, snickering evilly.  
  
Washu scares everyone, Ryoko thought to herself.  
  
*I heard that!* Washu told her daughter through their link.  
  
*Get outta my head, MOM!* the startled summoner snapped sarcastically (try saying that five times fast…^-^)  
  
"Ryoko?" Sasami asked, uncertainly. Ryoko looked up and quirked an eyebrow in question. "You ready for dinner?"  
  
The cyan beauty grinned and nodded her head vigorously like a little girl. Then, she took Sasami by the hand and threw her arm around Tenchi's neck and teleported them all to the dining room.  
  
  
  
Ayeka blinked furiously. She had to be seeing things. She knew she missed him, but she didn't think she'd start hallucinating.  
  
"L-Lord Tenchi?" she whispered, just in case she really was losing it.  
  
When Tenchi's image didn't disappear, it instead smiled at her, she knew she wasn't going crazy. She jumped up from her spot at the table and ran over to him, embracing him in a rather powerful hug, somehow managing to shove Ryoko into the wall in the process.  
  
"You're home, you're home!" she squealed. Then, she suddenly backed off and looked at him, a deep wrinkle of thought in her forehead and her chin resting in her palm. A mischievous grin crossed her lips, and she looked at him accusingly.  
  
Tenchi stood totally still, fully aware of the look he was receiving. It was as if she knew something he didn't, and she was taunting him.  
  
Finally, after she was certain he was totally under her control, Ayeka asked coolly, "What are you doing home?"  
  
"I…uh…er…" the boy stuttered. He knew the look she was giving him. She was prepping him for her next question, and this way, he'd be so distracted he'd tell her the entire truth before he even knew it. Unfortunately for her, he knew that look all to well, and was able to somewhat fake an answer. "I c-came home to see m-my family…"  
  
The princess continued to stare at him, but when he said no more, she thought that that was it. So, her face shifted completely, and she smiled politely.  
  
"You GUYS!" Sasami interrupted, stomping her foot in aggravation. "Dinner's getting cold!"  
  
Ready for food, Ayeka and Tenchi walked over to the table and sat down right next to each other. Ryoko raised her arm from the wall where she smashed into it, grabbed the back of her head and pried herself from the newly cracked wood. Staggering, she walked over and sat on Tenchi's other side.  
  
Seeing they were seated, the little girl bounded out of the room to the closet door and knocked on it, poking her head inside. The three at the table could hear her shouting, "Washu, COME ON! Dinner's waiting!"  
  
Then, Tenchi, Ayeka, and Ryoko heard silence, followed by a muffled cry and the pitter-patter of footsteps. Soon, Sasami and Washu came running into the room, completely hysterical.  
  
"Code M! Code M!" Sasami screamed at the top of her lungs.  
  
Immediately, Ayeka and Ryoko stood up and ran over to the sliding glass doors that lead to the porch. They looked up, and in unison, their eyes grew as big as saucers.  
  
"Oh, shit!" Ryoko hissed.  
  
"For once, Ryoko," Ayeka called, spinning on her heel and retreating to the kitchen, "I agree."  
  
The demon summoner turned around and sprinted over to a dazed Tenchi, who had no idea what was going on. She grabbed his hand and drug him into the kitchen as well, where they all sat on the ground and waited. Within seconds, they all heard a loud whistle, followed by a deafening rumble and a crash that shook the whole house.  
  
After the whole ordeal was over about three minutes later, and the house was once again standing still, Ryoko stuck her head out the door, waited, and then brought her head back into the room, grinning broadly.  
  
"Mihoshi has landed," she said, opening the door all the way to reveal a soaked-to-the-bone GXP officer, who was standing on the porch, pressing her face against the glass and knocking urgently. Behind her was Yukinojo, halfway submerged in the lake. Tenchi began to laugh as the whole situation became clear.  
  
"So 'Code M' means 'Code Mihoshi', huh?" he asked, shaking his head. He got up off the ground and followed Ryoko out of the kitchen.  
  
Ryoko waltzed over to the glass separating Mihoshi and the inside. She stood in front of it, playfully mocking the ditz. She pressed her hands against the cool surface and poked out her tongue. Then, she opened the door a crack and stuck her head outside, coming face to face with a pair of big blue eyes.  
  
"We gave at the office," she said in a flat tone.  
  
Mihoshi jumped up and down, pleading to be let in.  
  
"C'mon, Ryoko-san! Lemme in! I'm cold!"  
  
"Hmmm…" Ryoko said, resting her chin in her hand and wrinkling her forehead in thought. Then, laughing at the helpless look Mihoshi wore, she opened the door all the way, allowing entrance.  
  
The blonde police officer darted inside, up the stairs, and into her room in the blink of an eye, and Ryoko shut the door, still shaking with laughter.  
  
"Where's she off to?" Tenchi asked the demon pirate as she made her way over to the table.  
  
"To her room to change," Ryoko replied, once again taking her position at the table. "Well! Shall we eat?"  
  
~*~  
  
Dinner was over. Ryoko had the unfortunate job of clearing off the table that night, and that's exactly what she was doing. The rest of the family was sitting in the living room, Tenchi and Ayeka on the pink couch, Sasami, Mihoshi, and Washu playing some kind of board game around the coffee table.  
  
"Wow, Tenchi, that sounds like fun!" Sasami exclaimed as the boy finished telling his own accounts of Tokyo's wild amusement park.  
  
"It was, Sasami-chan!" Tenchi replied. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Especially watching Amagasaki on the roller coaster!"  
  
Everyone laughed at the mental picture they were each forming before falling into silence.  
  
"I'm finished!" Ryoko said, bounding into the room like a child. All the girls looked up at her strangely, not really understanding her mood swing. "What?" she asked defensively.  
  
*You're in a good mood, Ryoko.* Washu said telepathically. *Why not tell us why?*  
  
"You're kidding, right, Washu?" Ryoko sneered. She stalked over to the empty love seat and stretched out on it, letting her legs dangle over the edge. Folding her hands behind her head, she looked back and winked happily at Tenchi, who smiled distractedly in return.  
  
"Tell us more about Tokyo!" Mihoshi chirped, despite the fact that she just lost all her points in the game.  
  
Tenchi sighed heavily and stood up. "Actually, Mihoshi, I'm going to go take a walk by the lake. Ayeka, would you be so kind as to accompany me?" he asked turning to the now furiously blushing princess.  
  
"Sure," she replied, taking his offered arm. And soon, the awkward couple was gone; out to explore the nighttime wanders of the water.  
  
Everyone stared at Ryoko, who had remained unfazed on the couch. She was staring at the ceiling, humming and flicking her wrist with the beat.  
  
"Ryoko, you do realize Lord Tenchi left with Ayeka, don't you?" Washu cautiously asked.  
  
The oni stopped what she was doing and turned her eyes to the three remaining people.  
  
"I am well aware of that, Washu," she replied.  
  
"And you're not bothered by it?"  
  
Ryoko just shrugged her shoulders and returned her attention to what she was previously doing.  
  
Fifteen minutes passed in silence. Minutes during which Ryoko got increasingly nervous and began twiddling her thumbs. Finally, when she couldn't take the pressure any longer, she hopped off the couch and teleported away.  
  
"Wow, I didn't think it'd take that long," Washu commented at her daughter's disappearance.  
  
~*~  
  
Ryoko hovered just above the lake, almost letting the tips of her toes break its steely surface. She hated herself for not being able to trust Tenchi with another woman, especially after his confession earlier that afternoon. She knew she should trust him, but she just found it harder to do than usual.  
  
The demon turned her head to the cosmos above. The starts sparkled like pearls, and they winked off and on, as though they were the guardians to the earth below. The moonbeams flowed to the ground like silver ribbons, sliding across Ryoko's slender figure like a blanket of light.  
  
She breathed in the sweet air of the darkness, sighing with the wind.  
  
"Now, where could they be?" Ryoko whispered to the night, scanning the shore. No sign of the two appeared, so Ryoko sat down above the water, bringing her legs to her chest, ankles crossed, and rested her chin on her knees. She let her hand drop to the lake and grace its surface, distorting the sky's reflection. The tiny ripples from her fingers spanned out and eventually disappeared back to which they came.  
  
"What I've come home to say is…"  
  
Tenchi's voice rang in her ears, and she smiled. She never thought he'd see her as anything more than a demon. Sure, she wished it, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine her wish would come true.  
  
"…I love you…"  
  
"I love you, too, Tenchi," she whispered.  
  
"Miss Ayeka," Tenchi's voice broke through Ryoko's silent barrier to her ears, and she looked up to see her love walking towards her, his arm slung around Ayeka's shoulders. The princess's cheeks glistened with tears, and she turned to face him. He took both her shoulders in his hands, quietly staring into her eyes.  
  
Ryoko slowly stood, her heart pounding and her breath caught in her throat.  
  
"Ryoko…I've come home to say…"  
  
Her worst fear. No, this was worse even than that. The summoner's hand balled up into a fist as Tenchi's lips met Ayeka's in a deep and passionate kiss, and tears somehow managed to find themselves a path from her eyes to her chin.  
  
"…I love you…"  
  
"You bastard…" she hissed as a knife of pain broke through her chest and into her heart. "How…could…you?!"  
  
And the last thing she saw before she teleported away was the kiss…and the lie that would destroy her perfect world forever.  
  
~*~  
  
Tenchi and Ayeka walked through the doors to the Masaki household, and Ayeka immediately ran up to her room, stumbling at the top of the stairs.  
  
"Hey, Tenchi, where's Ryoko?" Sasami asked, gliding into the front entrance hall.  
  
"I dunno," he replied stupidly, turning his gaze to the bouncy little chef. "I thought she was with you."  
  
"Well, she went to find you about fifteen minutes after you left," she said, cocking her head to the side.  
  
"Hmmm…Well…" Tenchi shrugged his broad shoulders passively. "I wouldn't be too worried, Sasami-chan. Ryoko will be home soon. It's late, you should head off to bed."  
  
Sasami shook her head yes, still not able to smother her worries. She couldn't help but be concerned. But…  
  
Ryoko will be Ryoko, and that's all there was to it.  
  
Slowly, she turned and trudged up the stairs, not once looking back.  
  
When she reached her room, she found her sister already in bed. Sasami couldn't tell if Ayeka was asleep or not, but she seemed fine.  
  
Quietly, the princess of the second crown changed out of her green and pink dress and put on her blue flowered pajama shirt and pants, then slipped under her covers.  
  
"Goodnight, Ayeka," she whispered.  
  
  
  
An hour later, Sasami, try as she might, couldn't sleep. She just kept tossing and turning, and she couldn't seem to get comfortable. The deep breathing sounds of her sister, which normally helped lull her to sleep, only made things worse.  
  
Finally, kicking the covers off herself in aggravation, she got up and stalked out of the room and down the stairs.  
  
Sasami sauntered into the kitchen and over to the refrigerator. She opened the door and grabbed the jug of milk, pulling it out and unscrewing to cap. Not even bothering to take use a glass, she took a large swig of the white liquid, letting its delicious coolness slide down her throat. Wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt, she replaced the lid and bottle, closing the door.  
  
"Sleep overtake me!" she whispered desperately, banging her fist on the smooth surface of the nearby counter. Then, she pivoted on her heel and slowly walked out of the kitchen.  
  
"Sasami?" a voice whispered, catching the princess off guard. She whipped around and saw, standing in front of the sliding glass doors, the silhouette of Ryoko, accented by the light of the moon.  
  
"Ryoko-san?" Sasami asked, wondering where the demon had come from. She noticed Ryoko's cheeks were glistening in the moonlight and walked to her side cautiously. "What's wrong?"  
  
Ryoko quickly wiped her face and turned to the girl. "Nothing," she replied, obviously lying.  
  
"Oh…I see."  
  
Sasami tilted her head as she stared into her friend's eyes. Silent pain had glazed over their amber color, and crystal-like tears trickled from them.  
  
"Sasami, have you ever flown before?" the oni asked totally out of the blue.  
  
"Well, you take me flying sometimes, does that count?"  
  
Ryoko smiled and shook her head. "No, I mean alone."  
  
Sasami furthered the tilt in her head. "No…but when I was a child, it's all I dreamed about."  
  
"Well, why didn't you do it?"  
  
"Because…" The little princess thought back to her past, trying to remember exactly why she never tried. "Because I was told I was never meant to."  
  
"You know, Sasami-chan, the one thing I learned from Kagato …" Ryoko's voice trailed off as she turned back to the outside, bringing her hand up to her heart, "…is never believe everything they say."  
  
Sasami was lost. Her friend was talking crazy, and she seemed to be in deep emotional pain. She never lived by anything her old master had told her, and here she was, preaching about his teachings. Silently, the child took Ryoko's hand in her own, drawing her attention away from the window.  
  
"Are you saying," Sasami began, smiling brightly, "that I really can fly?"  
  
The cyan pirate smiled, despite herself. "Anyone can."  
  
"Can you teach me?"  
  
Without warning, Sasami found herself quickly fading from the living room of the Masaki family household and re-appearing in the sky outside. In fear, she screamed and flung her arms around Ryoko's waist, too scared to look down, yet unable to stop herself.  
  
Ryoko held tight to the frightened princess, thankful that there was someone who still leaned on her and whom she could trust. She wanted nothing more than to break down on Sasami in tears and know that everything would be the same, but she knew it never would be again. Nothing could stay the same now. So, she kept up her shield for a little while longer and turned her attention to the one in her arms.  
  
"Ryoko-san, don't let me go!" Sasami begged, twisting her protector's blue and green dress between her fingers in a death grip.  
  
"Sasami," Ryoko cooed, raising the little girl's chin with her hand, "the only reason you never could fly before is because you trusted everyone else and not yourself. The only thing you have to do is forget what they said and place your trust in your own self. Now, close your eyes."  
  
Sasami reluctantly did as she was told, and Ryoko released the girl's arms from her waist so they were standing parallel to each other.  
  
"Can you fly, Sasami-chan?" the demon asked in a strong voice.  
  
Sasami nodded slowly, eyes still closed. "Yes…I can."  
  
"Do you trust yourself?"  
  
"I...do…"  
  
Ryoko smiled. "Then open your eyes."  
  
Sasami once again obeyed, and found herself standing in front of her friend, hands stretched forward. It was a glorious feeling, standing in the sky, nothing to support your feet but the cold night wind. Sasami absentmindedly released Ryoko's hands and brought them straight above her head, palms up, as if accepting the starlight into her body.  
  
"I'm actually flying!" she laughed. "I can't believe it! And you don't have a hold of me!"  
  
At theses words the fun suddenly ended, and Sasami began to panic. "You don't have a hold of me!" she repeated in a desperate cry as she began to fall rapidly to the ground. The air rushed past her with a wicked howl, and she just knew this was it.  
  
Thump!  
  
The falling princess landed, curled up in a tight ball, eyes scrunched, in the arms of Ryoko, who brought her in and embraced her with all the strength she had. They stopped falling and hovered about three meters above the ground.  
  
"Why did your faith falter?" Ryoko asked, running her fingers through one of Sasami's bright blue pigtails. "You stopped believing…"  
  
"I-I'm s-sorry!" Sasami squeaked, shaking violently. She never wanted to do that again. Never in her life…but…  
  
The feeling she had before the fall was new. Absolute freedom; nothing holding her down. It was the best thing she had ever known. She wanted more. She wanted to fly again, even if it was only for a few seconds, she didn't care. Those would be seconds where all that burdened her and bound her to the earth below would be gone.  
  
"Want to try again?" Ryoko asked, as though she was reading the princess's thoughts.  
  
Gulping, Sasami silently nodded her head yes.  
  
The two rose higher, though not as high as before, and Sasami allowed herself to be moved freely away from Ryoko's comforting arms.  
  
Three times tried; three times failed. Each time, Sasami was so scared, as soon as she opened her eyes she began to once again fall quickly to the ground, only to be saved by the ex-pirate and try again. By the fifth time they rose into the air, Sasami was aggravated. She wanted to fly, she needed to fly, but she couldn't help but fear falling. She knew Ryoko would be there to catch her, but, hey, anyone would be scared if they dropped from the sky at that kind of rate.  
  
"Ryoko, I'm sick of it!" she ranted, embracing the woman's neck yet again. "I want so badly to succeed, and you know I do! But it's just not that easy! I always believed that if I tried hard enough I could actually fly, but everyone brought me down as soon as my feet showed signs of leaving the ground!"  
  
Ryoko watched silently as the little girl raved on and on, and she smiled to herself. Little did Sasami know that she was no longer being held up.  
  
"I know I can do it! I know I will do it! But I never thought it'd be so hard to ignore those I love!"  
  
"Sasami-chan?" Ryoko said, immediately silencing the girl's anger. She backed off, leaving Sasami sitting clueless, with nothing under her but the earth so far below. "You've done it."  
  
The Jurain child quirked her eyebrow in utter confusion. "Done what?"  
  
"Look at yourself!" the summoner directed, gesturing for Sasami to look down. "You finally said it with your heart! You truly trust yourself, and now…"  
  
"…I'm flying!" Sasami mumbled. Then, with more effort, she yelled it to the sky above. "I'm actually flying!" Flinging her arms around Ryoko's waist, she thanked her, half laughing, half-crying.  
  
Ryoko couldn't think of anything to say. She felt overwhelmed with happiness for her companion. Sasami was truly happy, because she was free of her chains, and Ryoko began to smile as she felt her own load began to lift.  
  
  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Sasami landed, stumbling, on the stony roof of the cave. She was extremely shaky, but she was in a completely blissful mood.  
  
"Wow!" she exclaimed to the one landing smoothly next to her. "So THAT'S what it's like to fly without wings!"  
  
"Nani?" Ryoko asked, setting on the ground and dangling her legs over its edge. Sasami sat down right next to her, leaning against her arm. Sensing her exhaustion, Ryoko shifted and allowed the child to settle against her side before continuing. "I have wings, Sasami-chan."  
  
"What do you mean? I don't mean Light Hawk Wings."  
  
"I know." The pirate looked to the sky, thinking of how she was going to phrase her next statement. "Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they aren't there."  
  
Sasami turned her eyes up and let them come to rest on Ryoko's face. "I guess I don't understand."  
  
"My wings are the rays of the moon," she replied, flicking her wrist in the direction of the blue satellite. "They are what bind me to the air, to the heavens…and to my heart." Ryoko's eyes began to sparkle as her tears fought to free themselves once again. She had been fighting back the urge to cry ever since the night had started, and now that she had nothing left to keep her mind focused on, her defense began to fail.  
  
"Wow," Sasami said in awe, taking notice of her friend's watering eyes. "I wish I had wings like that."  
  
The catgirl looked down to Sasami's innocent face and smiled. "Then one day, Sasami-chan, I will pass mine on to you."  
  
Giggling, the girl turned her eyes out to the horizon, eventually falling into a thoughtful silence. She heard Ryoko sniff and knew she had begun to cry, but why was beyond her. It was true, Sasami had constantly awoke to the sounds of the demon's tears as they drifted through the walls from Tenchi's room to her own. But, he had come home, so…  
  
"Why are you crying?" she asked quietly, unsure if Ryoko had heard her or not.  
  
The summoner shook her head, replying, "You wouldn't understand."  
  
Sasami puffed up with anger. She hated being told that. "And why not? Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm stupid and naïve! Why are people ALWAYS telling me that! I'm human, not some puppet on strings who can't understand emotions!" Then, realizing she went too far, she smacked her hand over her mouth in shame. "I'm really sorry, Ryoko, I didn't mean…"  
  
"It's all right, Sasami-chan," Ryoko interrupted. "You see, I, too, am human now. I know what it's like to feel."  
  
"Still, I never should have said that," Sasami continued, going a violent shade of scarlet. Her heart twanged with guilt. She had never meant to say that, it just came out. She hadn't even been thinking it and she said it.  
  
"Oh, you're right, you shouldn't have," Ryoko sighed. She wasn't really mad, even though the comment had hurt. "I just…I don't know…Everything's so messed up."  
  
The princess bit her bottom lip, not really knowing whether or not to go any further with the subject. Oh sure, wanted to know why her friend was in so much emotional pain, who wouldn't? But, that was just it. When Ryoko was hurting, you stood back and let her deal with it herself, even if all you want to do is help. She tightened her grip on the pirate's waist reassuringly, twisting the cottony material of her dress between her fingers.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I don't really know what to do, Ryoko-san," she whispered, the guilt inside her veins freezing over.  
  
Ryoko wiped her tears and twisted so she was facing the second crown child. Taking the girl's tiny shoulders in her hands, she peered blurry eyed into Sasami's big, puppy dog orbs.  
  
"I know I'm not doing a very good job of backing myself up, but…" she sucked in a deep breath before continuing, "I don't want you to worry about me when I leave."  
  
"NANI?!" Sasami cried in shock. "Leave? What are you talking about?! Why?"  
  
"Sasami, I need to. I must go back to space," the oni explained, breaking off her eye contact and looking down at the stone of the cave. "I realize that the real space pirate Ryoko must have been lost somewhere in its depths. The one you have come to know is not who I really am."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Sasami found tears cascading down her own cheeks as her eyes turned redder and redder with every second.  
  
"I have to go back to find myself, who I truly am. The real Ryoko would know she was nothing more than a useless fiend. She would never find herself thinking that maybe someone cared for her."  
  
By now the princess was sobbing into Ryoko's chest, questioning everything yet understanding nothing.  
  
You ARE the real Ryoko, she repeated over and over to herself. You aren't useless, you aren't useless at all! You're the real Ryoko, and you're my friend!  
  
"Who did this to you?" she mumbled.  
  
Ryoko raised her hand and tangled her fingers in the girl's soft, blue pigtail. "I did it to myself. I let myself think I stood a chance."  
  
Sasami snapped her head up as a sudden memory resurfaced in her brain. Tenchi, standing staring after her sister, not seeming to care where Ryoko was. He had seemed pre-occupied…  
  
"Tenchi did this," she hissed, anger silently conquering her sadness.  
  
"No!" Ryoko snapped, shooting Sasami a look of dangerous warning. "Do NOT be mad at him, Sasami. It was MY fault I believed him when he...he said he loved me."  
  
Sasami cast her gaze aside. "If he said he loved you, why does it hurt?" she asked, furious.  
  
Standing, the pirate replied, "That's just it. He SAID it. I told you already, Sasami…"  
  
"Never believe everything they say…" The princess rose with her friend as things started to piece themselves together. Tenchi…Ayeka…her very SISTER…a cruel joke…life's cruel joke. Ryoko had seen…something…and it had driven her to pain…a complete breakdown…and to the point of losing sight of herself. "Belief really does make a difference, doesn't it?"  
  
Ryoko quietly nodded, taking Sasami's hand and teleporting them back to the front entrance of the house. Then, leaving the girl behind her, she slowly ascended the stairs for one last goodbye.  
  
  
  
"Tenchi…" Ryoko whispered, kneeling next to his futon. She reached out to his face and gingerly touched his cheek. Tenchi shuddered under her fingers and groaned, turning towards her.  
  
Liquid diamonds formed in the pirate's eyes once again, and she hunched over in tears, clutching her stomach as it began to violently convulse.  
  
"Why," she sniffed, sliding her hand down to his shoulder and hanging on to it with a death grip. "Why Tenchi?! I thought…I thought you loved me!"  
  
"Ryoko…" he mumbled, still asleep. He shifted once again to his back, breaking her hold on his shoulder.  
  
She slowly crawled onto the mattress beside him and collapsed, her upper body lining his. Burying her head into his chest, she sobbed, her pain draining her of energy. She didn't want to leave, yet she knew she had no choice. Not only was it to find herself, but she didn't think she could bear the thought of Ayeka and Tenchi together. She couldn't handle the lie that tore at her soul. She was just a child, and this proved it.  
  
  
  
A flash of magenta streaked the darkness as Washu watched her daughter in silence. Ryoko's weakness had open the link between mother and child, and the genius cringed as bubbling anger surged through her blood. The vivid pictures of the day swirled together in her mind. Their colors blended together, though the memories stayed as clear as ever.  
  
As she watched her little girl's spirit die, her hand balled together into a fist as she longed to beat Tenchi senseless. Yet she wondered, how could Ryoko run to him and cry for him? It had been he who had caused this.  
  
Love is nothing more than a game to you, isn't it, Tenchi? She thought wickedly. You watch yourself, boy. I will get you for this one…  
  
"Washu-chan?"  
  
Startled, Washu jumped.  
  
"Washu, what are you doing?" Sasami asked, coming quietly up beside the goddess. She followed Washu's gaze into Tenchi's room and saw Ryoko in tears over him, and her head rose in understanding. "I…guess you know, don't you?"  
  
Washu nodded, and the two watched as the one they knew as unbeatable fell to her knees in defeat.  
  
  
  
"Goodbye, Tenchi," Ryoko whispered as she rose to her feet and glided away, unable to stay with him any longer and at the same time finding it harder to leave.  
  
The successor groaned in response, stirring slightly. His eyes fluttered open and he turned his head to see what had awakened him.  
  
"Ryoko…is that you?" he questioned, receiving no response from the figure blocking his door. He shrugged it off and turned to the wall, drifting back into slumber.  
  
Ryoko stepped outside the room, closing the door and leaning against it. She felt something gently nudge her ankle and leaned over, picking it up. Ryo-ohki let out a soft "mew" of reassurance as her master held her in her hands.  
  
"Sasami?" Ryoko called to the darkness. Then, sensing her mother's presence as well, she added, "Washu?"  
  
Sasami crawled out from the blackness and stood next to her friend, waiting for her next move. Ryoko knelt down to face the little cook and took her in her arms. Sasami responded by wrapping her arms around her neck.  
  
"Please, do not tell anyone why I have gone," the demon requested. "And please do not be mad at Tenchi."  
  
Unknowing of what to say or do next, Sasami stood quietly, staring into Ryoko's piercing yet gentle golden eyes. She wanted to be mad at Tenchi, and at that point in time she wanted to hate him. Hate him with every piece of her. No one should have to know this much pain, especially Ryoko, who had known nothing but. How could Ryoko be telling her not to?  
  
"The time has come," the summoner said, rising. Taking one last look before she vanished, Ryoko took in all she was leaving behind. Tenchi, her one and only love, Sasami, the one who was like a sister to her, Washu, her only link to her true past, Mihoshi, the one she had come to care for, and lastly Ayeka, whom she hated with every fiber of her being yet, for all it was worth, loved deep down in her soul. She was leaving the life she had grown attached to for one that had gotten her nowhere before. She knew it'd get her nowhere this time as well, but it was a nowhere she understood. Then, she was gone…  
  
Sasami ran as fast as she could outside, only to see the spaceship Ryo-ohki zooming out of sight, one last "Miya" echoing out to the sky. She fell to her knees; it was her turn to cry now.  
  
Goodbye, Ryoko-san! She mentally called as the tears trailed along her skin. She felt a hand place itself on her shoulder and turned to see Washu staring after her daughter.  
  
As though she had heard the little girl's silent words, Washu said in a grave voice, "Never say goodbye, Sasami-chan…"  
  
  
  
~Notes from Minagi~  
  
Hey, are people still reading this? If you are, wow. I thought you'd ditch me as soon as I wrote that part about Tenchi and Ayeka kissing. If not there, somewhere after that. But, none the less, thank you for sticking with me.  
  
I told you things aren't always what they seem…he he he…I know, that was a pretty evil thing to do to Ryoko. But, hey, peoples! Don't think this is the end! It ain't over till I hear "Old Lady Lard Butt" (my study hall teacher) sing! I still got another chapter to go! So PLEASE DON'T ABANDON ME!!!!! I'll be back with the conclusion as soon as I finish "Scar of Fire".  
  
Well I guess that's all! Don't forget to review! ^-^  
  
~Minagi  
  
"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die tomorrow."  
  
~ A beautiful quote from my good friend Anna 


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